The visual value to music video clips productions(parts of my paper)

Our thoughts, actions and lives have turned today into objects on screen. Object, mean elements that are made and created. Objects can only represent us but they can never be us as real living lives. Therefore, it would be interesting to study a certain aspect of what we see on screen everyday, the screen who takes a big part of our daily lives despite our will. Looking at music video clips, they are linked to one’s hearing, vision and sentiments. A music video clip is a series of sequential movies clips, supposedly related to the sound as the singed lyrics. Producers generate scenes using people who are directed and manipulated. It is interesting to question the aim of the visual intervention in the music as sound and lyrics. Knowing that the visual culture in our world nowadays is interested in what the eye looks at and see, it is noticed that it evokes certain pleasures and attraction. The digital technology is somehow guilty, in the sense that it is affecting the quality of music that can stand by itself to deliver a certain message to its listeners. Music is a combination of sound and language. Sound is a source of imagination; it is the mother that gives birth to visuals running in the mind of the listener, relative to oneself. As for the lyrics of the song, if there are any, they join the sound to clarify a certain meaning and to direct the listener closer to the composer’s intention.

The visual, language and sound work together to deliver an intended message. It is necessary to study the importance of the visual in relation to music.

Digital technology has distracted the user, or in this case, the producer from the aim of it. Modern technology is there to facilitate production and help generate the intended message or result. In the contrary, music video clips producers are using digital technology in a passive way that leads to discarding the meaning that is supposed to be generated. In this case, it is failing in applying its main function.

But what if, our contemporary audience enjoys esthetic visuals as only an accessory to the music and not a meaningful value? It is also important to take into consideration the audience, because they are the target of such product. For example in the Arab world, the display the female body as a tool of selling a music video clip, is enticing to the oriental audience, living in an oriental culture. In this case, the visual is not adding meaning to the music or is not simply strengthening the message, but only functions as a decorative value that can ease its marketing. Therefore the visual can sometimes intentionally be used to attract a certain audience that will view it before listening to it. A Video clip in this case overtakes the priority of selling a song; it becomes a visual pleasure before it ends being a hearing one.

In addition, video clips are the representation of reality or in some cases the manipulation of it. In this case, adding the visual aspect to music play the role of creating a new world to serve the audience in the sense of making their desires possible through video and production. It doesn’t add value to the music but satisfies the eye of the viewer.

From a personal point of view, the visual if needs to be added to music, ought to have a more effective function than just esthetics and selling. Oldies music is now in archives, and we view them as representing a certain culture or era, that is why they remain memorable. For example, 80s music is mostly about crazy new lifestyles intervention: feminism, new fashion, love and freedom of thought. This is how music plays a certain role that is more effective than just a secondary communication tool to the visual in a music video clip. Music can by itself represent a culture. Music has its own value and power, therefore whatever is added to it must have a more powerful aim, and not a distracting intervention that only deviates the active participation of the listener to his passive viewing.

Veild women in Advertisments

The phenomenon of marketing products through veiled women has become more prominent in the past couple of years. Nescafe, Knorr soup, Safe Hair, are all new ads in which women are veiled. The questions arises : Is there any strategy behind this? Or is it a sort of try outs approaching a new variety of media exposure, to check new effects?

Nevertheless, countries such as Egypt associate its development and growth so much with religious fundamentalism, so is it enough of a reason to target countries with such ideologies? Clothing has always had functions and designs. People wanted to protect themselves against their surroundings; namely, the harsh changes of climate and weather. However, in time, and as the culture of Man changed from a hunter gatherer society to an industrial society, another function was added to clothes, namely , that of prestige. Therefore, one could tell who is who from his or her appearance. Industrial society imposed more additions to these two functions, they added the factor of design and uniform, consequently one could tell through observing others their rank, and positions. More over as religions evolved, one could also tell who is who through observing the clothes of priests, clergy men, nuns and whoever represented or belonged to or was affiliated to a certain religious group. To make the long story short, the researcher in the field of media who wants to discuss the issue of veiled women in advertisements has to know about the historical and evolutionary aspect of clothing.

A veil in Islam is a piece of clothes worn by women on the head to cover their hair and prevent men who are not related to them by blood to see it. In the past of course no one can deny the existence of fashion. Yet, in time, this fashion as well as the designs related to it have become subject to cultural changes , that is, veils have designs related to the political affiliation of people. thus, a politico-religious design of veils have emerged with the emergence of modern Islamic nation-state countries and with the emergence of extremist, moderate and religiously neutral societies, opinions concerning the appearance of veiled and unveiled women in advertisement have become various and subject to controversy.

I, the writer of this article strongly believe that Lebanon is built on three essential pillars. The first is that of freedom; freedom of thoughts , the right to express oneself, the right to the second pillar is that of variety. The Lebanese society is made up eighteen religious sects as more than three or four ethnic groups. Thirdly, tolerance, the Lebanese system cannot exist without all these religious, political, and ethnic groups tolerating each other. Thus as far as Lebanon is concerned the writer believes that veiled advertisements ought to be tolerated and accepted. Yet as far as the rest of the Arab and Islamic world it depends on how democracy is practiced along with the existence of Islamic fundamentalism.

To conclude, veiled women, like any other women, have their rights for education and work. I don't see why women specializing in media are not to work in their own fields. Or I do not understand the weirdness some people might find behind such an aspect. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have strong religious constraints which is spread among all society and individual behaviors. So, a smart way to coordinate between the society's beliefs and media is to bring people to the media field, without offending any party.

Ladies first in work?

What i actually came upon after reading your comment and doing a bit of research is Nawal al Saadawi! She is a great example of my research paper. “ To the women and men who choose to pay the price and be free rather than continue to pay the price of slavery,” Nawal El Saadawi. From this phrase i can analyze specifically women's freedom. From her biography it is clearly shown how opressed as a women she was because of how she expressed her thoughts freely but was always opossed by her government (the Egyptian government). She was rejected by the Egyptians due to their image of a women not being able to be free and expressing what she thinks especially in women related issue that aren't discussed in the Arab society since they are a taboo( female circumsition, female in sex and their feelings about this rather it being a duty, women's loud voice of handling all the pressure from being a housewife to a mother to a wife...)

Transsexuals in Iran

Protesting persecution of gays in Iran

Maryam Hatoon Molkara, who was formerly a man known as Fereydoon, was an early campaigner for the rights of transsexuals in Iran

A few days ago, I watched a documentary about sex change in Iran. A man called Hassan, or Johannes, as he is known today, made a decision about his identity and began the journey of transformation into the fair sex, ignoring the looks of scorn and contempt particularly in a conservative Islamic society like Iran. All legal documents, such as birth certificates and passports, were also changed accordingly. It was the first time I learnt that sex change in Iran is not a taboo. Hundreds of Iranians have managed to change themselves from men to women or vice versa. We all know that Iran has extreme Islamic values. On the one hand, homosexuals are punished by death but on the other hand, Iran is one of the few governments that shares in the expense of these operations.

Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini wrote a book in which he stated that there is no religious restriction on corrective surgery as he referred to it. At the time Khomeini was a radical, anti-Shah revolutionary and his fatwa did not carry any weight with the Imperial government, which did not have any specific policies regarding transgender individuals.

I think this daring stance could be a good starting point in allowing homosexuals to live according to their sexual orientation, and might even contribute to their integration in an Islamic society which hasn't always looked favorably upon them.

Hi Hatem, are you still in town??? we have been hooked up to the blog and now we doubt your physical existence!!!!

The shame of democracy, Guantanamo bay.

The united state of America is considered the leader of the world and the champion of democracy because primary of its bill of rights sealed in its constitution were every human being has his worth in rights and duties. Therefore, no one would have guessed that behind the wall rests a big lie where torture abuses and unthinkable molestation would be done under the supervision of the US government. Guantanemo prison was decided consequently to the big terrorist bomb of September eleven. Decision was taking to go after terrorist where ever they are, catch them try them and let them endure all the pain the American public felt after the shock.
It is true that terrorist attack innocent people and therefore should be very much reprehensible. But using the same means of a terrorist is not excusable where ever the causes are because it puts countries against the laws and the international law of the chart of the united nation, which precisely define how a prisoner should be treated. Guantanemo could have stayed a secret to public if some straight forward and conscientious journalist wouldn’t have dared to display those images where ironically the most democratic country in the world was conducting total inhuman procedures. Those scandalous
visual effects where naked prisoners were lying terrified by dogs led by a sarcastic tortionnaire were all over the world . American was shocked too. Close Guantanamo was the outcry all over the states. The question is do we have to just close a terror place and forget of what was done inside its wall or should we take each an single proof of the constitutional abuse and consider it separately punishing the people who committed those crimes.
It has years now that guantanamo is still open
Critics in writing in images like photos, posters , illustrations, caricature, movies were displayed using all the media tools from newspapers , internet magazines television in as much people were saturated by this scandal and its shocking to know that it didn’t touch its preceptors (us government ) who still conduct torture of guantanamo
Do designers fail to do their jobs when messages don’t reach the public or contradiction between the US point of view when pictures of a well ordered place where they promote the idea of “defending freedom” prevail over thousands of pictured live testimonies proving the abuses of the us constitution. Unfortunately, The hash competition of the medias might be leading the public into strong confusion, hence the message comes blank .


Ps: I don’t know if the last sentence is confusing but it is my personal opinion that I will develop in the paper. ( I would be talking in depth on the effects of the suicide bomber images neutralizing the guantanemo desperate world. First, I will start briefly by introducing terrorism Second I will use guantanemo as one of the most recent proof that the champions of democracy don’t have ethics anymore. Third analyze the visuals language of sending messages thought media and finally try to draw conclusions on the contradictory effects of images on the public.

We will soon be placed on shelves.

The technology discovered by Man brought a whole new level of lifestyle to the world. Unconsciously, we've turned into mass consumers buying both what we need and what we don't; to such an extend that we ourselves are slowly turning into products. Nowadays, selling any product such a perfume, cars, phone, television... ect is always exposed next to a famous person, either a female or a male depending on the target clients. Although, we are aware of the corruption in the production of some of the products, we still end up buying it; furthermore, we freely advertise for them. For instance, the brand Nike which is one of the most famous sports shop, pick place in Asia in which "la main d'oeuvre" is at a low coast in order to be able to increase their production; however, it is ironic that such big firms believe for some in the Human rights; yet they still allow children to work for them in such bad conditions.
By looking at some photography books about Africa, I've realized that most of the picture taken are either from top or from a distance but with the lens zoomed on the faces. In addition, you rarely see any African woman, man or children smiling in any of the pictures exposed. All you see is sadness, hunger and depression. Do these pictures really differ from a picture taken for a product? It is true, that we can't compare a Human being to a product, but isn't this what some people do?
Some just take advantage of their miserable condition and take picture from a distance, rather than feeding and helping them get out from these conditions. In addition, I dough that they get paid for a reasonable price when pictures of them are taken, and exposed to the world.
In my paper, I'd like to focus on the fact that Human beings regardless their backgrounds rich or poor, are turning into products. If they're not exposing themselves to advertise for a brand (for instance, in the modeling agency you've have the term " new face of Dior", The " covergirl " new face too) or have pictures of them taken that they will never get a chance to see, nor benefit from; in both cases the subject is being manipulated in order to give to the society what they want to see. The sources I'd be referring to are both advertisement campaign and photography.

Ladies first in the work industry

 My topic was inspired by once getting into a taxi where the women was the driver. this inspired my topic of if women actually are accpeted in the society of having the same jobs men where if it is possible if it is socially and physically accepted.

   Living in Lebanon, we have several problems we face in our everyday life. One of the taboo issues that exist and gradually is becoming accepted in our society. This issue is about women in the work field having certain jobs. Those jobs sometimes are appropriate for women and other times are physically difficult for women but some take the chance and accept this for a job.  One of the jobs that we might somehow get acquainted with is women becoming in the army. For some women this is not possible because they think they can't handle this job due to the harsh pressure they are put through in this experience.  While in fact, it is not physically impossible for women to be in the army because she is able to handle the harshness ( the fact behind this is women have actually been in the army and have lasted). Another job a women is able to do but is actually socially not accepted is women being the drivers of taxi drivers. One morning, while i was taking a cab, i got into a taxi driver and the driver was a women. This actually intrigued questions to my mind so i  was curious to ask her what were the difficulties she faces, why did she pick this job, and what was her previous job; this also lead to realizing how women nowadays are an essential part of the labor force due to the harsh economic crisis all the world is having( it isn't enough nowadays for men only to bring food to the table). The problem behind this economic crisis forces women to take certain positions of jobs that are still socially neglected. The issue that is to be tackled in this paper is if women are actually given their rights equally in the same positions as men where they work as hard or sometimes even harder to be taken seriously.

During that chaotic week in Lebanon, seeing sixteen years old boys going down the streets holding a rifle sometimes bigger than themselves shocked me. I do know for a fact that some of them were encouraged to go to "war" by their own fathers. A few days before, those same kids were watching television and playing video games. what is dazzling is that those kids, when they are holding that rifle, they are not thinking " I am going to war to defend my country and my beliefs"; they are actually thinking how cool they look with their clothes and rifle and how they look like that guy in that video game or that guy in that movie, and they try to act like him. They also wish someone they know would see them dressed like that and shooting. They are showing off more than anything else, so they are pleased when they see people from the media taking pictures of them and filming them so that the world can see them fight like a 'hero" so they pose and act like it.

We are all aware of the increase of violence displays in the media but apart from a quantity raise, it has become much more graphic, sexual and sadistic, going from movies that show precise visuals of slow-motion bullets exploding from people's chests, dead bodies surrounded by pools of blood and decapitated body parts, to one of the top-selling video games in the world, "Grand Theft Auto' that is programmed so players earn points by carjacking, stealing drugs and money and attacking and killing innocent bystanders and they also can beat prostitutes to death with baseball bats after having sexual intercourse with them. There are a lot of other video games promoting violence and criminality and that actually satisfies criminal fantasies, like "War of Warcraft" that is older than our last example, or "Carmageddon" where players are rewarded for mowing down pedestrians (you can actually hear the sound of cracking bones), etc.

This violence is exciting to the audience as they feel fear and disgust while watching it in movies for instance. Their hearts start beating faster, they're stressing out and feel pressured by the images they are seeing, but nevertheless, they keep on watching and rarely turn their eyes away. That is why people like horror movies as they like to be frightened, get startled and jump off their chairs as much as they don't like it.

The media businesses actually noticed that bad news and violence gives them a lot more viewers than anything else so they keep them coming everyday worse than the last. if u noticed in the news, there is a high difference between the ratio of good and bad news informed.

All of that brings me to my subject matter, how does all that media violence really affect our youngsters and should we really stop it all?

Thinking about this Earth as the only environment to live in, we are captivated by what we are surrounded and by what this earth provides us. This somehow forces us to cooperate with the species around us since we share the same grounds. But this doesn't seem to be the case. People don't really take a moment to think about the animals as creatures living, eating and breathing out of the lands we share. Animals are just some secondary "thing" that people may not only neglect but also harm in several broad ways. It is maybe due to the old age when animals were the only resource to man in order to ensure their living. Animals were considered objects from which milk, meat and clothing were and still are being obtained. They never ever considered whether or not this animal being lead to slaughter has feelings or not, whether or not this animal is sad or maybe feeling ill. Maybe human beings were self-absorbed and all what they thought of is how to fulfill their superior and inferior needs not regarding the "other's" needs. Also, we can tackle the point that man always sought for shelter. As we deserve to be sheltered, animals do too. Nowadays and every minute of the day, animals are subject to slaughter, violence, suffering, pain, hunger, malnutrition, abuse and misuse. That is all due to the fact that animals are left to wander around in the streets, to get run over by cars, to get diseases and sicknesses and to suffer from malnutrition. The latter itself can cause major affects on human beings due to spreading of diseases by indirect and direct contact. Let's assume: What if animals ruled the world? What if we, as human beings, were thrown and neglected on the streets, abused and slaughtered for personal interests? Would we like it? Why wouldn't we treat others the way we would like to be treated? Is the inability of animals to socially and verbally interact, the power that drives human beings to commit cruel crimes towards animals knowing that they will surely not speak a word? Let's think about it for a moment to reckon that man had forever earned his living out of animals. Roger Scruton, a philosopher, argued the fact that since animals are unable to engage socially or make moral choices, they cannot be regarded as possessors of rights and that only human beings do. Others argue in parallel that there is nothing wrong in using animals as resources for human purposes. Simply, Descartes, in the 17th century, stated that animals are non-humans and they are purely mechanical with no rationality or even consciousness. On the other hand, rights were given to animals when it was necessary to interact with other species living on this earth. That is to ask; Isn't it about time now to give animals their gratitude to what they have offered and still are and be able to spread even wider the awareness against animal cruelty? Is it ethical to disregard animals' interests and rights  to live pain, struggle and abuse free?

Here are some advertising campaigns: 

Media's violence

My paper is about violence in the media. I am first going to study  how violence is used in movies, television, music videos, video games, websites...  Second I will be discussing the business of media's violence and how it is increasingly promoted in the market. Third, the effect of  media's violence on children, then a discussion about regulating it or not; the world's responses to it and finally how media education can help minimize the damage caused by media violence to kids.

BONWI!

safari quit unexpectedly! WOW ktir salbe 3enjed

I'm not writing it again! tomorrow will do.. pfft wtever

Most of us know that Lebanon has endured almost 20 years of civil war. Despite the fact that we do not have a clear understanding of the reasons and sequence of events of that war, we do know that it was a struggle for power hiding behind national political slogans and sectarian ideology. This resulted in the division of Lebanon and it’s people and also the involvement of other nations. What we do know for sure is that all crimes (and they were numerous) and massacers have been forgiven. Indeed all party leaders were exempt from the consequences of their actions and they were allowed to roam free in the city. Most of them remain in power today or have passed it down to their next of kin. In other words, the people and ideas that have caused bloody murders for years on, still prevail (most of them) today!
Mentionning the civil war to older members of the Lebanese community seems to bring back unwanted painfull memories. They have all chosen to collectitively forget!
Yet this desir to forget only exists within people. As you walk around Beirut you can still see all the “signage” of war. It ranges from still destroyed buildings to posters logos etc...

Which brings me to my subject matter; how can we forget if we do not eleminate or “purify” the city ?
In my study of this forgive and forget phenomenon i want to collect these signs and try to understand the significance of their presence.
First off course i will have to study in depth the power and strength of symbols and signs relying on historical, sociological and communication theories.

Allthough the direction in which i will be eventualy going is not clear yet i have allready picked up on some headlines which are worth looking at:

1- Signs and territory:
In brief signage was used to limit and signal parties territtories. Each sect had its operating area, and were kind enough to clearly show it to trespassers.
In this segment i thought of doing maps and exploring the developement of territory from specific year to year.

2-Signs and memory:
As mentioned before the paradox of forgetting and forgiving yet never destroying the physical evidence is at the core of my paper, here i will try to understand the purpose, and reasons of this omni-presence of signs and their persistence in our city.
I will also explore the relation of old, new and “recent” signs.

3-Signs and sacrilege:
The unfortunate recent events that Beirut has went through has opened up a new dimension. During the last weeks certain parties have physically invaded our streets. Despite the fact that they are no longer in the streets today, they have left behind them a trail of logos and symbols that seem to re-limit their territory. Has Hamra fallen into the control of the “Kawmeh” party? if not then why are we not erasing their logos of our walls and removing the flags? are they left as evidence? would it be illegal to remove these signs? or have symbols evolved beyond their initial purpose (signage) and have been elevated to some sort of sacriligious dimension?

4- Signs and advertising:
It is intresting to note that today parties take very good care of their image. They work on their logos and have manners of presenting themselves to the public. Here i would like to explore how a party (a somewhat cultural activity) has taken on dimensions that are strictly part of advertising or public relations. In other words they have taken on characteritics of a field that has as only purpose to sell a product to a public.

My ideas are still all over the place, and i am still taking on a heavy work load, as each segment can become an entire field of research in itslef. Hopefully after my research and some writting i will be able to limite my field of study.
ps: sorry for the spelling (i dont have dictionary to correct me) and all over the place ideas ;)

Women Image

Women in our contemporary society face challenges on daily bases. They are expected to uphold a certain image regularly. Development of this image has been attained from generation to generation. Society and the influence of the media, transmits images that women are expected to fulfill, and its most important aspect is beauty.
Women are never to appear their age. A young woman should always appear older whereas an older woman should appear younger. The image presented to us by the media about the female gender should always be well kept and beautiful, they always seem to be outgoing, adventures, fit, have a perfect skin, hold a job, keeps a perfect household, never have headaches or colds.
Back in the days women were always expected to behave in a certain way, they always should act lady like. If she dared to challenge the society she was directly referred to as an outcast where she was look down on, that is why we could notice that the advertisements that were done would mainly show the perfect house wife, and the flawless lady.
For my final research paper I'm going to stress on the image of women in general, how it was depicted since the early 60s through the media, i.e. posters, adds, etc. and how it is being depicted now a day through the same means of media, at the same time I'm going to talk about the female image in the Arab world in particular how women were depicted in their society, and how they were portrayed as Arab women through the media, and stereotyping the typical Arab woman. I'm also going to focus on what impact those advertisements have left to the general public and on the female gender in particular be it in the Arab world or internationally.

Virtual Me

Amid all the noise of our busy lives, we tend to disconnect from our inner nature and exhaust our energy to achieve certain standards.In other words we want to become part of the all and not outcasts.The virtual world offers us a quick and easy solution to our physical solitude , a whole new world with boundless possibilities.
The Internet is becoming a major part of our daily life, was it education, career or merely entertainment. Our virtual identity is gaining more popularity than our physical one,we socialize and exchange all kinds of humane feelings online. It has become another reality, rather a reality that can be twisted to look and feel better. We have created the probability of being there but not being there.For instance, facebook.com has become a popular website visited by millions
everyday in Lebanon, through facebook we can share Our thoughts, emotions and image with millions of people we don’t have to know, only to saturate our sense of existence.In all cases, we could be modifying facts, manipulating imagery or faking emotion.
Nevertheless, we are still hanging to our reality by a thin thread of physicality; we need to satisfy our hunger, thirst and sexual desires.we are on the verge of creating a virtual world that doesn't need to take up any of the limited space we have left in the world, a world where we can build our own castles on our own islands in minutes.A world where we can be Gods! As little as that world would take up physical space it would sweep our minds off with the wonders it can present to us.
In one way or another, we are attracted to this postmodern lifestyle, and every thing is set to be user friendly for us to adapt easily to the new trends of the digital trend advancement.

hello.. i'm going to pinpoint what my topic is about and tell you how my topic will flow along with visuals that support it.

Topic: Animal Rights/ Against Animal Cruelty

Citation of animal rights

How people could be cruel to animals

How I relate to animals and what triggered me to talk about this subject

Presentation of several advertisement from different ad campaigns and analyze what we may perceive whether

   we know the context of the ad or not.

This is just to brainstorm and for you to know that the first draft,though not complete, should be posted asap. As I knew before that u must agree on the subject before we start. Anyway, I should catch up soon since I just got better later today from my wisdom tooth surgery. Thank you :)

The Denial of the Armenian Genocide and the Role of Media

In my final research paper, I would like to discuss the following issues and be able to find answers to the following questions:

Part I: The definition of the word “Genocide”
Brief historic outlook of how the Armenian Genocide took place in 1915.
How did the leader countries of that time react to this?
The Armenian diaspora after the Genocide. Where did the survivors reach?
Analyze 2 pictures taken from the Genocide.
The role of media during the Genocide
Analyze lyrics of a song (to be picked very soon)
The Turkish point of view regarding the Genocide until today
Why is this Genocide still denied?
Why does Turkey remain unpunished until today?

Part II : Advertising and media has been the strongest weapon for all types of campaigns for some time now, what has been their role from 1915 until today? (Discussion of this point in details through different media)
Analyze and discuss samples of posters and stickers designed by university students taken from various years.
On the national level, discuss briefly what the Lebanese have done for the recognition of this Genocide
On the international level, talk briefly about The Armenian National Committee of America. Also discuss the role of the European media.

Bibliographies:

“ Black God of Fate” by Peter Balakian (book)

“ The Great War for Civilization; The Conquest of The Middle East” by Robert Fisk(book)

“Armenia; Cradle of Civilization” by David Marshall long (book)

“Western Armenia; lost Motherland” (DVD produced and directed by Haig Harutyunyan)

“Armenian National Committee of America” (DVD)

“The Genocide In Me” (DVD)

www.anca.org

The Effect of Visual Arts on Environmental Awareness

To influence minds of the masses, it has been resorted to visuals as a means of propaganda or lobbying for certain causes. In my paper I will discuss how Environmental agencies, ministries, media and NGOs have utilized visuals as a successful means in order to educate and influence the ideas of the commoners and in raising their awareness, as well as the extent to which the visual perception has been successful in achieving the original aim. This was attained through movies, animations, documentaries, photography galleries and contests, as well as posters.

Below is a prelimenary list of visual productions i compiled that deal with the subject matter reflecting on the importance of environmental awareness.

1. Movie releases\ documentaries:
“Inconvenient truth” ,

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

"The Great Warming" ,

www.thegreatwarming.com/

"Crude Impact",

www.crudeimpact.com/

2. Photography exhibitions\ competitions:
Establishing “Environmental Photographer of the Year” prize, www.ciwem.org/arts/photographer/
Competitions on major TV channels, Nat Geo , BBC, etc…

3. Posters (competitions, display)

Design competitions (Earth Day)

NGOs (Greenpeace)

4. Series\Animations

TV productions and animated series have contributed to this awareness more implicitly. E.g. "Army recruitment" , the Simpsons’ politically geared jokes are the ones with the most bite and brilliance touches upon the issue of environmental awarness. This particular clip encompasses several topics from the episode regarding over-fishing, global warming, and deforestation.

http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/01/08/the-simpsons-on-the-environment/

As the visual arts can help portray our world in a subtle way, it can also be used to stimulate the emotional and motivational state of the perciever, hence visual perception as such can trigger a sense of environmetal awareness. My final paper will try to survey what's available , try to assess the impact of these visuals on the people , and discuss how it was visualy percieved.

I am What I am Not

   It’s always thought and introspected how the so-called media has authorized our lives unconditionally in all aspects. Questions to be asked outline the interference of media in our daily usual lives on one extremity, and it’s power to bound, shape, and metamorphose humanity on the other. As human beings, we are dwelled into a world whereby the scenario of our lives are a reflection of the exact scenarios illustrated in ads, movies, and the surrounding overall media. It’s to eventually realize that who we are is not completely a choice of who we want to be. It’s instead the total effect of the media to outline a certain identity into what is then transformed into our own identity.

 

   It’s in between what’s wrong and what’s right to do. It’s a standard piece built with formulated norms, rules, and the expectations to be done. It’s not an ultimate choice. It’s who we are, yet who the media wants us to be. Speaking of experiences, at times of our lives we are driven into a state of denial. Denying our image or the person we are becoming to be due to what the media has zoned this image specifically into the list of immoral acts, sinful behaviors, and disgrace. Eventually, we are either pressured to remodel our identity or live in an ultimate state of refusal. Accepting who we are is thus achieved once what we see and hear praises the person we have already become.

 

   Imagine if we wake up one day to find out that what we are watching in advertisements, TV series, movies, shows, etc… is a scenario illustrating a totally different way of living, thinking and dealing with matter. We are initially driven into refusing what we are seeing or what we are hearing thus justifying the norms and the rules we are raised upon. Even though the media is proclaiming the actual way of living, our refusal is rigidly based on the person we have already become. But what if a newborn baby is raised during this specific time where the media has tilted it’s way to illustrate the actual life?

 

   My research paper speaks out of introspection and depends on the analysis of the person I have become to be, which is directly linked to the power of the media in remodeling my identity. Moving from personal experiences, research and citations, I will show how our lives as human beings is being formulated by what we see and what we hear. In other words, identities are not totally a choice; they are instead a total reflection of what the media proclaims to be the right identity. 

the reality that we would never know...

It is one of these questions that I sometimes ask myself in my daily life, but I never really got an answer. Who am I and how do I look like? It might sound absurd but most of us don’t have an answer for that and if we do, it would be based on something we already know and not something we have discovered on our own. Have you ever tried sitting alone in a place where no one can reach you, cell phones no tv no internet, nothing that connects you to the real world. And you ponder is it really “the real world” ??? But how could it be real if its something that is seen in a virtual dimension, i.e the television, the computer …etc. It is the unreal reality. It is the fact that who we are is very much attached to everything has passed before our eyes. Starting from the simple idea that we have taken for granted, which involves hanging pictures of our loved ones or idols (supposedly or else why are they up there) over the walls of our homes. Everything that we have come across in our life, in all its phases, there nothing left out without being transformed driven in with the stream of stereotype.

If a person is to be isolated throughout his/her life from all the things that are actually being imposed on us, and all the things that we have learned or scanned in our minds but never questioned. If it was for that person to have no pre-cultural knowledge no message, no image in his head nothing but his/ her life. This would be reality. This would be nothing but honesty, and clarity of vision and judgment. It is for the same powerful reason that made the visual library part of our system, it is also the fact that its something unequivocal.

Our pre-historical knowledge and the visual culture has played a major role in our life. It is the building blocks of our visual memory. It controls all the aspects of judgment in vision and in thoughts. The problem is that this path that has been drawn before us, has really shaped how we think and the way we look on the outside it has struck every aspect of reality and turned us into narcissist that do believe that what we have given from appearance is imperfect and full of flaws according to the idealized imagery. How can this idealized and perfect imagery that over the years turned from being clear and obvious form of deception into the truth and reality itself. How could something that is delusional and unreal become the common truth that most people believe in or acknowledge.

If I were to erase all the messages I have received and erase everything thought in my mind. Without all these stereotypes, all these messages and images that have been imposed on me in every stupid detail of life. That is how its possible to find out who you really and how you think and why. That would be reality itself. That’s how everyone could in the core of him/her self and find the purpose and reason of his life.

Looking for a missing employee

We were supposed to Show Rabih Mroué's performance "Looking for a missing employee" in Shizuoka, Japan. But due to the current situation, we were unable to travel and instead we broadcast the show from here through the internet. We set up 3 web cams that projected the live stream on 3 screens on stage.